How to survive 24 hours in a plane with kids.
February 24, 2022 5:46 PM Subscribe
Our family is taking the plunge and flying from Australia to NY in late April to visit family who we haven't seen in years. How can me and my partner keep two kids, 8 and 5, entertained for the flights while not losing our minds in the process?
This is a pretty huge thing for us and we're kind of freaking out! The kids (Boy, 5 and a half, and Girl, 8) haven't been on a flight longer than three hours. I'm also a bit of a nervous flyer myself, even moreso after not having been on a plane since 2019. A bit of background - Me and my partner are triple vaxxed, and the kids double vaxxed. We've been talking about it heaps, trying to get their head around how long of a flight it will be (15ish hours to LA, four hour layover, 6ish hours to NY). We're going premium economy on the long leg but regular economy on the shorter ones.
We've got kids melatonin (which they already take on occasion) to help with sleep. As well as loaded iPads, spare batteries, and full-size pillows. I was thinking of getting them noise cancelling headphones as well. Trying to avoid packing anything too bulky like books though...
They are usually good kids in general, but definitely tend to lose it a bit when they get bored. To that end, I have no idea what to expect here, especially when they hit a wall and realise that they aren't going to be getting off this plane for quite a while, and how other passengers might react. I've also heard so many horror stories of what it's like flying domestically in the states which I'm also keeping in mind. They don't watch too much telly here at home, maybe a couple of hours each day on the weekend at most, so I'm not even sure how long that mode of distraction can hold up!
If anyone has done this kind of trip either pre-pandemic or not, I'd love to hear any tips or tricks you might have. Obviously it's a very individual thing, but if there's anything else I should considering investing in or preparing for somehow, we're all ears!
This is a pretty huge thing for us and we're kind of freaking out! The kids (Boy, 5 and a half, and Girl, 8) haven't been on a flight longer than three hours. I'm also a bit of a nervous flyer myself, even moreso after not having been on a plane since 2019. A bit of background - Me and my partner are triple vaxxed, and the kids double vaxxed. We've been talking about it heaps, trying to get their head around how long of a flight it will be (15ish hours to LA, four hour layover, 6ish hours to NY). We're going premium economy on the long leg but regular economy on the shorter ones.
We've got kids melatonin (which they already take on occasion) to help with sleep. As well as loaded iPads, spare batteries, and full-size pillows. I was thinking of getting them noise cancelling headphones as well. Trying to avoid packing anything too bulky like books though...
They are usually good kids in general, but definitely tend to lose it a bit when they get bored. To that end, I have no idea what to expect here, especially when they hit a wall and realise that they aren't going to be getting off this plane for quite a while, and how other passengers might react. I've also heard so many horror stories of what it's like flying domestically in the states which I'm also keeping in mind. They don't watch too much telly here at home, maybe a couple of hours each day on the weekend at most, so I'm not even sure how long that mode of distraction can hold up!
If anyone has done this kind of trip either pre-pandemic or not, I'd love to hear any tips or tricks you might have. Obviously it's a very individual thing, but if there's anything else I should considering investing in or preparing for somehow, we're all ears!
Best answer: With the permission of our pediatrician, we used 1 dose of Benadryl on our flight from LA to New Zealand. (Tested at home beforehand because, per the doc, some kids have the opposite response and it makes them wired.)
posted by BlahLaLa at 6:12 PM on February 24, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 6:12 PM on February 24, 2022 [3 favorites]
Get lots of rest yourself before the flight so you are fully charged to handle them.
posted by redlines at 6:28 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by redlines at 6:28 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have flown across the US a few times & you will be glad if you get the premium economy on that leg too if there's any, any, any way you can swing it.
posted by bleep at 6:32 PM on February 24, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by bleep at 6:32 PM on February 24, 2022 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Noise cancelling headphones are fantastic and you should have them for the whole family. I have sensory processing issues, a lot of which revolves around sound (too much, not enough, the wrong kind…) and noise cancelling headphones made such a difference between being exhausted and losing half my trip to recovery and being okay after a night’s rest and ready to be a tourist.
Audiobooks are very good, have a bunch downloaded and ready to go. A longer chapter book can help your older kid feel comfortable and focused even when they’re sleepy, and you can always go back and repeat a section if they fell asleep and missed any of the story. Shorter stories can be a good way to break up sections of time and put a mental marker between other activities. Either way, audio books are good for keeping your brain engaged without contributing to eye strain. It’s more direct and personable, in my experience, than music, which is also hard to hear the nuances of on a plane, even with noise cancelling.
Get a couple of spiral bound sketchbooks. Attach via carabiner to each spiral a pencil bag, where you keep washable markers. If you want to get extra intense you can tape each marker to a string and tie those strings to a stretchy bracelet and have your kids wear the bracelet when they want to color, so they can pull dropped markers back to themselves. But just having paper attached to a pencil bag can help a lot, and remind them to put things away.
Other non-screen things that work well on planes are origami (perhaps for the older kid), decorating cards with stickers and washi tape (to be given to the relatives), and paper puzzles like mazes and object search pictures.
I agree with the advice above to get active on your layover. It can make a huge difference even though you won’t want to. There might be a play space in your airport, you should be able to check on its website.
The flights should have lights dim and everyone get quiet at certain times. They do this to help you with time zone changes and to help passengers who want to sleep. Trust the flight attendants to help guide you in this, they know the drill. Try to encourage your kids to go along with it.
posted by Mizu at 6:41 PM on February 24, 2022 [5 favorites]
Audiobooks are very good, have a bunch downloaded and ready to go. A longer chapter book can help your older kid feel comfortable and focused even when they’re sleepy, and you can always go back and repeat a section if they fell asleep and missed any of the story. Shorter stories can be a good way to break up sections of time and put a mental marker between other activities. Either way, audio books are good for keeping your brain engaged without contributing to eye strain. It’s more direct and personable, in my experience, than music, which is also hard to hear the nuances of on a plane, even with noise cancelling.
Get a couple of spiral bound sketchbooks. Attach via carabiner to each spiral a pencil bag, where you keep washable markers. If you want to get extra intense you can tape each marker to a string and tie those strings to a stretchy bracelet and have your kids wear the bracelet when they want to color, so they can pull dropped markers back to themselves. But just having paper attached to a pencil bag can help a lot, and remind them to put things away.
Other non-screen things that work well on planes are origami (perhaps for the older kid), decorating cards with stickers and washi tape (to be given to the relatives), and paper puzzles like mazes and object search pictures.
I agree with the advice above to get active on your layover. It can make a huge difference even though you won’t want to. There might be a play space in your airport, you should be able to check on its website.
The flights should have lights dim and everyone get quiet at certain times. They do this to help you with time zone changes and to help passengers who want to sleep. Trust the flight attendants to help guide you in this, they know the drill. Try to encourage your kids to go along with it.
posted by Mizu at 6:41 PM on February 24, 2022 [5 favorites]
Best answer: Apologies for a less pragmatic answer from a non-parent. I know we are trained, for lots and lots of reasons, to think of plane travel (especially with kids) as an ordeal to be endured...but perhaps consider framing this instead as a potentially wonderful experience for you and your kids?
I'm serious. They are 5 and 8, you say? And it sounds like they have never been on a plane before? Amazing! HYPE IT UP! Encourage the awe of it all! For you and them. They are going up literally miles into the air for the first time, like birds! They are going to see the planet in a way they can only imagine now! (I hope at least one ticket has a window seat they can look out of...?) You are going to want to remember the expressions on their faces when they see the curvature of the earth for the first time in life, not on a screen. Or the patchwork of land and rivers and streets, or tiny comet trails of boats on the ocean, or a cityscape at night from above. It's sky day, kids! An entirely new and novel experience! Before the flight, get a book about clouds and learn about the different kinds. Get a big old-school paper map and draw your flight path on it. On the flight, bring some paper and crayons. In the air, challenge each member of the family to tell the others what they see out the window, real or imagined. One person at a time is the story teller, another the recorder and illustrator. On the layover, talk about what was most surprising and weird and wonderful. If their seats have those screens with built in maps, find your plane on the route and have guessing games about how high up you are and how far you have traveled so far. Have a grown up convert the measurement into something the kids can understand, like "we're 400 libraries high," or "750 lengths-of-our towns so far, 600 to go." Bring some special sky snacks (chewing gum in different flavors maybe?) that they only comes out on the plane. Fill their devices with music or stories appropriate first for cloudgazing and later, sky naps. Have you ever had a sky nap? It's the most relaxing in the world, I hear. They say the dreams are amazing. Kid, you gotta try it.
Plane travel sucks so much for adults, truly, I know. It's expensive. It's exhausting. It's an environmental disaster. And everyone dreads sitting next to kids, or being the parent of a kid on a plane. All true! Also true: a first plane ride could be one of the most magical, memorable experiences of your kids' childhoods. Bring the games and devices and snacks and sleep aids, of course...but some excitement, curiosity and wonder will fit just fine in the overhead compartment. Have a safe and fantastic trip!
posted by prewar lemonade at 6:55 PM on February 24, 2022 [30 favorites]
I'm serious. They are 5 and 8, you say? And it sounds like they have never been on a plane before? Amazing! HYPE IT UP! Encourage the awe of it all! For you and them. They are going up literally miles into the air for the first time, like birds! They are going to see the planet in a way they can only imagine now! (I hope at least one ticket has a window seat they can look out of...?) You are going to want to remember the expressions on their faces when they see the curvature of the earth for the first time in life, not on a screen. Or the patchwork of land and rivers and streets, or tiny comet trails of boats on the ocean, or a cityscape at night from above. It's sky day, kids! An entirely new and novel experience! Before the flight, get a book about clouds and learn about the different kinds. Get a big old-school paper map and draw your flight path on it. On the flight, bring some paper and crayons. In the air, challenge each member of the family to tell the others what they see out the window, real or imagined. One person at a time is the story teller, another the recorder and illustrator. On the layover, talk about what was most surprising and weird and wonderful. If their seats have those screens with built in maps, find your plane on the route and have guessing games about how high up you are and how far you have traveled so far. Have a grown up convert the measurement into something the kids can understand, like "we're 400 libraries high," or "750 lengths-of-our towns so far, 600 to go." Bring some special sky snacks (chewing gum in different flavors maybe?) that they only comes out on the plane. Fill their devices with music or stories appropriate first for cloudgazing and later, sky naps. Have you ever had a sky nap? It's the most relaxing in the world, I hear. They say the dreams are amazing. Kid, you gotta try it.
Plane travel sucks so much for adults, truly, I know. It's expensive. It's exhausting. It's an environmental disaster. And everyone dreads sitting next to kids, or being the parent of a kid on a plane. All true! Also true: a first plane ride could be one of the most magical, memorable experiences of your kids' childhoods. Bring the games and devices and snacks and sleep aids, of course...but some excitement, curiosity and wonder will fit just fine in the overhead compartment. Have a safe and fantastic trip!
posted by prewar lemonade at 6:55 PM on February 24, 2022 [30 favorites]
Delay gratification for as long as possible. Start out with no distractions and build as slowly as possible.
Just being on the plane, taking off, looking out window, etc. For as long as possible.
Then reading a book. Do that for as long as possible. Let them be bored for awhile.
Snack. Then bored for as long as possible.
Audio book for as long as possible.
Gaming
Last is movies and tv. Save that for the last flight. When everyone is too exhausted to read or game.
posted by halehale at 7:04 PM on February 24, 2022 [13 favorites]
Just being on the plane, taking off, looking out window, etc. For as long as possible.
Then reading a book. Do that for as long as possible. Let them be bored for awhile.
Snack. Then bored for as long as possible.
Audio book for as long as possible.
Gaming
Last is movies and tv. Save that for the last flight. When everyone is too exhausted to read or game.
posted by halehale at 7:04 PM on February 24, 2022 [13 favorites]
Best answer: I found that my willingness to the give the child my complete attention for as long as they wished made it much easier. For coast to coast US, my kids were pretty well behaved as long as someone would play with them. Be strategic about how sits next which kid and plan to change seats to give the adults and the kids some variety. (In our family the younger would need more attention, the older much more self-sufficient.)
Find games you can play together in the iPad (checkers?), bring a deck of cards and learn a variety of simple card games that you can play with one or both kids. One trip we had little paper robots that we could punch out and fold and then had adventures. If the older one likes to read, make sure there are books on the iPad. Buy some special comic books (at least in our house, a new comic book was special) and be willing to read it multiple times. Make sure you get up and walk to the bathroom at least every two hours. Read up on some seat exercises you can do during the flight.
posted by metahawk at 7:50 PM on February 24, 2022 [4 favorites]
Find games you can play together in the iPad (checkers?), bring a deck of cards and learn a variety of simple card games that you can play with one or both kids. One trip we had little paper robots that we could punch out and fold and then had adventures. If the older one likes to read, make sure there are books on the iPad. Buy some special comic books (at least in our house, a new comic book was special) and be willing to read it multiple times. Make sure you get up and walk to the bathroom at least every two hours. Read up on some seat exercises you can do during the flight.
posted by metahawk at 7:50 PM on February 24, 2022 [4 favorites]
Definitely try the Bendryl before you fly- I learned the hard way that it hypes some kids up!
I flew a lot with my kids when they were little, some times on many legged journeys. Somethings that worked for me/their dad. We got three seats together, and one far away and each took some time alone. We would have the kids change into their pajamas and try and recreate a night time routine on long haul flights, and would have one kid sleep on the floor- made a bed out of blankets and throws/travel pillows, and the other kid stretched out as much as they could on the two seats. We had little things packed away that we could pull out when boredom striked- magic markers, stickers, little activity books. I also brought back up snacks to have- but this was before 9/11 so it might not be as easy to bring food along.
posted by momochan at 7:59 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
I flew a lot with my kids when they were little, some times on many legged journeys. Somethings that worked for me/their dad. We got three seats together, and one far away and each took some time alone. We would have the kids change into their pajamas and try and recreate a night time routine on long haul flights, and would have one kid sleep on the floor- made a bed out of blankets and throws/travel pillows, and the other kid stretched out as much as they could on the two seats. We had little things packed away that we could pull out when boredom striked- magic markers, stickers, little activity books. I also brought back up snacks to have- but this was before 9/11 so it might not be as easy to bring food along.
posted by momochan at 7:59 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: There are airplane beds for kids.
You can see if your kids will tolerate ear plugs (smaller than noise cancelling headphones or can be used in conjunction with them).
I think it's good idea to have a mix of screen and non screen activities. Puzzles, coloring materials, wikki stix, paint with water books, magnet toys, etc. can be fun.
You might want to consider going to the dollar store / Daiso etc. to pick up distractions for the flight. (Don't let the kids see them beforehand).
Make sure the kids know about time zones and the plan for their sleep schedule.
You didn't ask about this specifically, but another potential "melt down point" is the line at immigration. You might want to consider some sort of "ride on" luggage especially for your five year old.
Are you planning on bringing car/booster seats with you?
posted by oceano at 8:03 PM on February 24, 2022 [3 favorites]
You can see if your kids will tolerate ear plugs (smaller than noise cancelling headphones or can be used in conjunction with them).
I think it's good idea to have a mix of screen and non screen activities. Puzzles, coloring materials, wikki stix, paint with water books, magnet toys, etc. can be fun.
You might want to consider going to the dollar store / Daiso etc. to pick up distractions for the flight. (Don't let the kids see them beforehand).
Make sure the kids know about time zones and the plan for their sleep schedule.
You didn't ask about this specifically, but another potential "melt down point" is the line at immigration. You might want to consider some sort of "ride on" luggage especially for your five year old.
Are you planning on bringing car/booster seats with you?
posted by oceano at 8:03 PM on February 24, 2022 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Our flight wasn't nearly that long, but I took my two kids on a reasonably long flight recently.
I (usually a library user) went to the book store and bought 4 really amazing graphic novels for my kids (5&7), then read the books to them (2 on the flight there, 2 on the way home, the second 2 were a surprise). They were lightfall, two of the five worlds series, and one that was a bit too old for them, but that I enjoyed. I would think that the zita or jack books would also do the trick, if your kids haven't read them yet. The kids read them over a few times after I read them, though my kids do that with books. I also brought paper and games and two usborne travel games books, which were less of a hit. Similar to the advice of halehale, only towards the very end did I break out the phone for a video.
posted by lab.beetle at 8:08 PM on February 24, 2022 [3 favorites]
I (usually a library user) went to the book store and bought 4 really amazing graphic novels for my kids (5&7), then read the books to them (2 on the flight there, 2 on the way home, the second 2 were a surprise). They were lightfall, two of the five worlds series, and one that was a bit too old for them, but that I enjoyed. I would think that the zita or jack books would also do the trick, if your kids haven't read them yet. The kids read them over a few times after I read them, though my kids do that with books. I also brought paper and games and two usborne travel games books, which were less of a hit. Similar to the advice of halehale, only towards the very end did I break out the phone for a video.
posted by lab.beetle at 8:08 PM on February 24, 2022 [3 favorites]
My kids, 10 and 7 now, used to go fly from Toronto to Osaka every year or so which is about 18 hours in the air with one stopover to change planes. Between books, their devices, the movies available on the plane, and sleeping they were fine. They don't get a ton of screen time normally so between having unlimited screen time and the wonder of being on a plane they don't get too bored.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 8:41 PM on February 24, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 8:41 PM on February 24, 2022 [4 favorites]
Keep it as much like your regular routine as possible.
posted by Oyéah at 10:41 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Oyéah at 10:41 PM on February 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
I once got slightly nauseated on a long train trip as a child . My mother, a nurse, gave me a dramamine and.it was lights out for me the rest of the day.
posted by y2karl at 3:12 AM on February 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by y2karl at 3:12 AM on February 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Yeah, perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I think you are making too much of a deal about this. Lots of families travel this far (and even further) all the time. If you're freaking out and talking about it heaps and framing it in terms of surviving and not going crazy, you might be making this into more of an issue for the kids (and yourself) than it needs be. Lots of kids do long flights -- they just go between looking at whatever their parents brought to keep them entertained, eating, sleeping, watching movies, chatting, going to bathroom. If they are good kids in general, no reason to think you need to put much more effort into this than other families. (And I would say the average family just "prepares" by sticking some extra books/toys/snacks in a bag for the kids.)
(Experience: Multiple 18+ hour itineraries with kids each year + strong ties to other globe-trotting families that do the same)
posted by spisspisspis at 3:37 AM on February 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
(Experience: Multiple 18+ hour itineraries with kids each year + strong ties to other globe-trotting families that do the same)
posted by spisspisspis at 3:37 AM on February 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
Don't drink.
Hold back some activities, so there is novelty part way through the experience.
Bring familiar media as well as new stuff.
Show them the map with the plane that I indicates your progress. Let them zoom in on things.
Interrupt the screen time for a while to talk. (We did a 1300-mile car trip --and then turned around to come back, after a 500-mile side trip in the middle!), and my wife interrupted the kids every hour or so to play a word game or just talk.)
Bring stuff to do (art, Rubiks Cube, cards) as well as passive media.
Surrender to a game they love, and let them play it endlessly.
posted by wenestvedt at 4:17 AM on February 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
Hold back some activities, so there is novelty part way through the experience.
Bring familiar media as well as new stuff.
Show them the map with the plane that I indicates your progress. Let them zoom in on things.
Interrupt the screen time for a while to talk. (We did a 1300-mile car trip --and then turned around to come back, after a 500-mile side trip in the middle!), and my wife interrupted the kids every hour or so to play a word game or just talk.)
Bring stuff to do (art, Rubiks Cube, cards) as well as passive media.
Surrender to a game they love, and let them play it endlessly.
posted by wenestvedt at 4:17 AM on February 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
iPads/tablets/laptops/whatever screens you have for games and TV/films. A couple of sets of kid-specific headphones (with built-in volume limiter) would also be good.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 6:15 AM on February 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by EndsOfInvention at 6:15 AM on February 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My kid is nearly 14 now, and we have done the NYC - Auckland - Dunedin round trip six times in her life. Every other year from age 1, until covid stopped that.
The long leg will not be that bad. You have novelty, you're on a big plane where they can play games and watch a ton of stuff on their tv (save your personal devices for the layover) and fingers crossed they will sleep a decent amount. Between that and stuff like the food keeping them busy, we never found crossing the ocean that much of a big deal.
The worst leg will be LAX-JFK. You're already tired, you're now in the US, where airport workers tend to be... less pleasant than down under, and a 5-6 hour flight to the east coast is still no joke. Also, the plane will probably be full of people who insist on carrying on bags that should really be checked. Give yourself and your kids a lot of grace at that time. Especially during the layover. Going through immigration will suck. Save all your distractions and entertainment for then and for the shorter flight.
We let our kid have unlimited screen time in these situations. IDGAF about it as long as she's calm and not annoying other passengers.
posted by gaspode at 7:24 AM on February 25, 2022 [9 favorites]
The long leg will not be that bad. You have novelty, you're on a big plane where they can play games and watch a ton of stuff on their tv (save your personal devices for the layover) and fingers crossed they will sleep a decent amount. Between that and stuff like the food keeping them busy, we never found crossing the ocean that much of a big deal.
The worst leg will be LAX-JFK. You're already tired, you're now in the US, where airport workers tend to be... less pleasant than down under, and a 5-6 hour flight to the east coast is still no joke. Also, the plane will probably be full of people who insist on carrying on bags that should really be checked. Give yourself and your kids a lot of grace at that time. Especially during the layover. Going through immigration will suck. Save all your distractions and entertainment for then and for the shorter flight.
We let our kid have unlimited screen time in these situations. IDGAF about it as long as she's calm and not annoying other passengers.
posted by gaspode at 7:24 AM on February 25, 2022 [9 favorites]
Just a heads up that your LAX-JFK flight might not have in-seat screens (or any entertainment at all, or things like in-seat power outlets or usb ports), so you might want to plan for that. Domestic flights are often less nice than international ones. You also might not get fed.
(In theory information on that should be available in your booking details, plus looking up the flight number and/or plane model will probably bring up some information on frequent flyer sites. It's always good to be prepared though.)
posted by trig at 8:30 AM on February 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
(In theory information on that should be available in your booking details, plus looking up the flight number and/or plane model will probably bring up some information on frequent flyer sites. It's always good to be prepared though.)
posted by trig at 8:30 AM on February 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Yep, expat kiwi familiar with the long haul. Childless but I’ve had friends with children fear they are the Plane Asshole because their baby made one little peep. My advice to them and you: give yourself a bit of a break here. Many people on the plane have been in your shoes and have empathy and are willing to give a pass on a bit of listlessness or excitement.
I agree with posts above. Plan ahead but not as if it’s the worst thing ever. Find the silver linings. I really love mornings on long haul flights - love everyone waking up together, letting the light in, having brekkie together. Even the constant trips to the rest rooms for a wee or with a toothbrush and a make up bag. Weird I know but there are things to look forward to. It ain’t all bad
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 8:32 AM on February 25, 2022 [5 favorites]
I agree with posts above. Plan ahead but not as if it’s the worst thing ever. Find the silver linings. I really love mornings on long haul flights - love everyone waking up together, letting the light in, having brekkie together. Even the constant trips to the rest rooms for a wee or with a toothbrush and a make up bag. Weird I know but there are things to look forward to. It ain’t all bad
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 8:32 AM on February 25, 2022 [5 favorites]
I wouldn't count on melatonin to work as a sleep aid in this situation as it's more useful for helping to re-establish your usual sleep rhythms, but it doesn't help you stay asleep. I'd check with your pediatrician for recommendations if you want something that will help them sleep for some of the flight.
posted by Aleyn at 9:27 AM on February 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Aleyn at 9:27 AM on February 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Going through immigration will suck.
This. This. This. So sorry, but it does. (If you've done this, yourself, ignore what follows. You already know it.) At the early morning hour that you arrive from Australia, there are many, many others also arriving at LAX (on your flight and others) from across the Pacific. The lines will feel LONG. The immigration kiosks (where you enter your passports, answer a few questions and get your pic taken) can be difficult for some and can cause further delay.
After you get through immigration, get your luggage and get through Customs, you will walk your luggage some distance before dropping it again at various locations, depending on your next flight. At this point, you will have left a secure area, requiring you to pass through TSA screening yet again.
All of this can be disconcerting enough to an adult who has just flown that 15 hours. I can't imagine what it's like for a child.
Sorry to be a downer. Better that you're prepared.
posted by John Borrowman at 9:40 AM on February 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
This. This. This. So sorry, but it does. (If you've done this, yourself, ignore what follows. You already know it.) At the early morning hour that you arrive from Australia, there are many, many others also arriving at LAX (on your flight and others) from across the Pacific. The lines will feel LONG. The immigration kiosks (where you enter your passports, answer a few questions and get your pic taken) can be difficult for some and can cause further delay.
After you get through immigration, get your luggage and get through Customs, you will walk your luggage some distance before dropping it again at various locations, depending on your next flight. At this point, you will have left a secure area, requiring you to pass through TSA screening yet again.
All of this can be disconcerting enough to an adult who has just flown that 15 hours. I can't imagine what it's like for a child.
Sorry to be a downer. Better that you're prepared.
posted by John Borrowman at 9:40 AM on February 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
There will be some sleep time. Think of 10 or so items each. Small puzzles, comic books, books with word games or mazes, colored pencils and paper, new music. A few items can be game apps. Every waking hour or so during the long flight, they get a thing. The novelty and waiting is key, it doesn't have to be great stuff, just mildly entertaining. For quiet/ nap/ sleep time, get 2 tablets or phones with decent screens, load them up with apps, ebooks, tv and movies and headsets/ ear buds. I have a crappy amazon fire tablet and can load up lots of content; very handy. Also, tablets have cameras, if you're clever, do a treasure hunt game and ask them to take pictures of specific things on a plane or airport. Bring some snacks, too, familiar food is comforting. Remember to do something similar for the trip home. Maximize the layover with physical exercise, if you can bring a koosh-type ball, that's a plus.
posted by theora55 at 11:36 AM on February 25, 2022
posted by theora55 at 11:36 AM on February 25, 2022
Best answer: Screen time can last longer than you think it will, especially if you're on a flight that has movies that the kids can choose from.
You can also set the kids up ahead of time that it's going to be boring. Like super boring. Like, you won't beliiiiiieeeve how boring it's going to be. And then when you get on the plane, switch to the script that prewar lemonade gave - Did you realize that there ____? Did you know that ____ ? Be surprised along with them that it's actually more exciting than you realized. So when they complain about being bored, you can say, yeah, I know, it's the worst, right? But did you know..... and swing the mood back to a good place.
I also recommend going to the crappy overpriced airport shop, before each of your flights. There's always a kid section. Let the kids each get something. Doesn't matter if it's something that seems useful (puzzle book or a game or a book) or something that seems stupid (a stuffed animal or a key chain) - it will be new, and they will want to play with it on the flight, and it will give them something they can compare with each other and that you can talk with them about, and it will make them feel like they had a tiny bit of control over something.
I also like to bring a ton of snacks, and put some of them in "timed" bags. So when they ask what there is to eat, there are a certain set of things -- then a couple of hours later, when they want something to eat, guess what, now there are other choices they didn't know about. That way they don't get sick of the options or get choice fatigue.
Good luck - I think it will go better than you think.
posted by Mchelly at 12:33 PM on February 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
You can also set the kids up ahead of time that it's going to be boring. Like super boring. Like, you won't beliiiiiieeeve how boring it's going to be. And then when you get on the plane, switch to the script that prewar lemonade gave - Did you realize that there ____? Did you know that ____ ? Be surprised along with them that it's actually more exciting than you realized. So when they complain about being bored, you can say, yeah, I know, it's the worst, right? But did you know..... and swing the mood back to a good place.
I also recommend going to the crappy overpriced airport shop, before each of your flights. There's always a kid section. Let the kids each get something. Doesn't matter if it's something that seems useful (puzzle book or a game or a book) or something that seems stupid (a stuffed animal or a key chain) - it will be new, and they will want to play with it on the flight, and it will give them something they can compare with each other and that you can talk with them about, and it will make them feel like they had a tiny bit of control over something.
I also like to bring a ton of snacks, and put some of them in "timed" bags. So when they ask what there is to eat, there are a certain set of things -- then a couple of hours later, when they want something to eat, guess what, now there are other choices they didn't know about. That way they don't get sick of the options or get choice fatigue.
Good luck - I think it will go better than you think.
posted by Mchelly at 12:33 PM on February 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
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If they're not usually good at sleeping sitting up (like in cars), I'd bring Benadryl in case the melatonin doesn't help.
Endless Uno or some other small game.
posted by metasarah at 6:01 PM on February 24, 2022 [6 favorites]